Richard Hamilton (basketball)
Richard Clay "Rip" Hamilton (February 14, 1978, Coatesville, Pennsylvania) is an NBA player for the Detroit Pistons. He is 6 ft 7 in, 193 pounds (2.01 m, 87.5 kg) and plays shooting guard and small forward. Playing career Hamilton hails from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and played college basketball at the University of Connecticut. He was named Most Outstanding Player when UConn won the NCAA tournament in 1999. Hamilton played for the Washington Wizards NBA for his first three seasons in the NBA. Hamilton was then traded to the Detroit Pistons for Jerry Stackhouse. Since the trade, Richard has settled in to become one of the NBA's top shooting guards, which helped the Pistons win the NBA Championship in 2004. Having suffered a fractured nose early in the 2003-04 season and again in the later part of the 2004 season. As a result, Richard began wearing his now trademark protective mask in order to have any hope of remaining on the active roster for the 2004 NBA Playoffs. Due to having had three reconstructive procedures on his nose, Hamilton continues to wear the protective mask in order to play without fear of further damage to his nose. His nose has been said to lack cartilage due to all the damage that it has received, which would mean he would require extensive surgery to repair another injury to his nose and could potentially force him to quit playing. He also stated in an interview with ESPN that he wears the mask for good luck. Today, Richard Hamilton, whose game closely resembles that of the retired Reggie Miller, has become one of the best shooting guards in the league. His ability to wear down his opponents with constant movement and motion has made him one of the best players without the ball. He frequently curls off screens and picks and is one of the deadliest catch-and-shoot players in the league. He is highly regarded by NBA analysts as one of the best mid-range shooting players, a rare skill in the league. On February 9, 2006, for the first time in his career, Hamilton was selected to play in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game in Houston as a reserve guard for the Eastern Conference. Trivia *Hamilton's Point Per Game percentage for the 2005-06 season is 20.1 points per game. * Hamilton got his nickname Rip from his dad who got the same nickname as a child because he ripped his diapers. * In the 1990s, Hamilton regularly spoke at his former Elementary School, encouraging the students to stay away from drugs and gangs. * Rip has his own clothing line and own organization called Rip City. * "Yessir" has become a popular catch phrase of Hamilton's. This originated after he repeatedly exclaimed it at the Pistons' 2004 championship rally. After scoring, "Yessir" is often played through the speakers at home games. http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=9201 *He has a younger sister and a younger brother *His mother's name is Pam Long http://chestercountyreporter.com/RipHamiltonDay.html *He has 3 dogs http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,5033,s6-0-0-0-7471,00.html *Hamilton is known for wearing a Face Mask while on the basketball court. See also *Big East Men's Basketball Player of the Year External links *NBA.com Profile - Richard Hamilton *Fantasy NBA Basketball Stats - Richard Hamilton * Need4Sheed.com Pistons Downloads Rip Wallpapers Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Richard Hamilton, Richard